Reflux condensing-dome.



D. H. GHRISTMAN.

REFLUX CONDENSING DOME.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.2,1911.

Lmgmwa 1111611161 Nov. 21, 11111.

BA K TO STILL i J a,

Wfinesm l'ILUeTL'Ccp-r.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL H. cnmsrmnu, or lVIARIETTA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or own-rooms T0 w. c.McCLURE, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, AND one-room TO n. H. com, or MARIETTA,

OHIO

REFLUX coNnENsINe-noME Patented Nov. 21, 19511.

Application filed February 2, 1911. Serial No. 606,088.

tion.

This invention relates to improvements in reflux condensing domes suchas are used on various kinds of stills employed in the distillation ofsubstances such as petroleum and coal tar products. The invention is,

however, primarily intended for use on the diiferent forms of petroleumstills such as crude, steam, rerunning or reducing stills.

The object of the invention is to provide a reflux condensing dome whichis more efficient and economical than those which have been usedheretofore and which yields a larger percentage of distillates or whichyields distillates of better quality or more desirable characteristics.

'The dome constructcd'in accordance with my invention .is designedparticularly for producing a better and more thorough condensation ofthe heavier vapors which. are evolved by the heat applied to the still,before the vapors pass into the condensing coil, and this is'accomplishedin the preferred form of my invention by providing in theshell of the dome a series of superimposed and alternately arranged pansand baffle plates, the pans being spaced slightly from the wall of theshell so that the vapors in rising must pass between the sides of thepansand the shell of the dome, and the baffle plates fitting closely theinterior of the shell and being provided at and around the centerthereof with perforations, with the'result that the vapors in passingfrom the still to the top of the dome are brought alternately intoengagement with the side wall of the dome and with the surfaces of thebaflle plates, causing the heavienvapors to be condensed largely on theshell of the dome and partly on th'eflat surfaces of the baflle platesand pan bottoms. Further, the pans above the lowermost. pan are providedwith short outlet or drain pipes each emptying into the pan below andthe lowermost pan is provided with a reflux pipe which is designed to beconnected with the still, with the result that all the vapors condensedin the various parts of the dome are collected in the lowermost pan andthence pass again to the still by the reflux pipe.

My invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certainnovel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of partswhich will be described in the specification and set forth in theappended claims.

In the drawings I have shown in vertical section a portion of a stilland my improved dome connected to the top thereof.

The still A may be of any form or construction, but as here shown is ofthe cylindrical type. Secured to the top of the still is the dome Bcomprising an upright cylindrical shell B which'at the bottom is in opencommunication with the still through alarge opening a and at the top hasa smaller. opening and pipe connection I) for the egress of the vapors.The dome is designed to be connected at the opening I) with the usualcondensing coil which-.need not be shown, as it forms no part of thepresent invention. The'dome is provided on the interior with a series ofsuperimposed pans C. C and C and bafile-plates D and D which arearranged between or alternately with respect to the pans. In this case,I have provided three pans and two baffle plates, as I find that thisnumber produces excellent results, but it will be understood that ifcircumstances require, the number may be varied from that shown. Thepans are each supported on the inner-wall of the shell by a series ofangularly spaced lugs 0 which may, if desired, be in the form of shortangle sections with the pans resting on the horizontal flanges thereof,and each of the pans is separated slightly fromthe shell, leavingbetween the shell and the ver-' tical cylindrical'side walls of the pansannular vertical passageways 0. Each of the two upper pans C has anopening in the middle thereof and a short depending pipe 100 purposearewell known.

and the bottom upwardly between the shell and the the middle through thecentral peripheries of the upsection 0 so that the condensed vaporscollected in either of said pans may pass directly to the pan beneath,and the lowermost pan C has connected to the center thereof, a refluxpipe C which passes outwardly through the shell of the dome near thebottom thereof and is designed to be connected in the usual manner withthe still A. This reflux pipe may be provided with the customary lookbox, or sight opening, which is not shown as its use and The baflleplates D and D each fit closely within the shell of the dome and each ispreferably supported upon an angle iron (Z which extends entirely aroundthedome. Also these ba'flie plates are provided at or around the centerwith perforations 03 through which the vapors are designed to pass.

It will be seen that the vapors rising from the still A must passupwardly between the shell and the side of the lowermost pan 0 andthence inwardly toward the center of the dome and upwardly through thecentral perforations of the lowermost baffle plate D; thence outwardlybetween the baflle plate D of the middle pan C; thence side of pan;thence again inwardly and permost baffle plate D; thence outwardlybetween the battle plate D and the bottom of the uppermost pan C andthence upwardly between the shell and the side of the pan G into theopen space 6 at the top of the dome. From this space the lighter vaporswhich have not condensed pass to the condensing coil. With thisconstruction the vapors have a circuitous path and are broughtalternately against the surface of the shell of the dome and intoengagement with the baflie plates and bottom portions of the pans. Theresult of this construction is that the eavier vapors evolved at anytime or corresponding to a given temperature in the still are condensedlargely on the shell of the dome, and also to some extent upon thebaflle plates and bottom portions of the pans. The lowermost pan C ismade much shallower than the other pans and any of the vapors which arecondensed between the shell and the side of this pan pass directly tothe still, but only a very small percentage of the vapors are condensedat this point. The vapors which are condensed beyond this point arecollected in the several. pans and the condensed vapors which collect inthe two uppermost pans pass by way of the short pipes 0 to the lowermostpan 0 from which they are' returned to the still by the reflux pipe C.It will be noted that the return of the distillates to the still doesnot interfere with the rising vapors and vice versa.

structed as above described, a much better condensation of the heaviervapors and separation from the lighter vapors takes place whileobtaining all the different grades of distillates, than with the domeswhich have been used heretofore, and careful tests have proven the dometo have the following advantages: First: The condenser coil is' leftmore free of gummy paraifin products or sticky distillates, and asmaller quantity of crude gasolene is required to flush the 0on densingcoil free from all such gummy sub stances. Second: A larger percentageof light-gravitygasolene practically free from kerosene distillates isobtained, the gasolene after the firstvfew barrels being water-White incolor. Third: Light gravity kerosene distillate which is of water whitecolor, and which complies with any desired State specificationsfo'rflash'test, can be obtained. Fourth: It produces a very lightcolored wax distillate, crystalline in form, which can be cold filteredwithout the necessity for redistilled. In th larger percentage of highviscosity lubricating oil is produced than that produced from a re-rundistillate.

Having thus described I claim is: v,-.

1. In combination with a still, a reflux condensing dome seated on andin opencommunication with the top of the still-and comprising a shellprovided on the interior with a series of alternately arrangedsuperimposedpans and baffle plates, the sides of the pans being spacedfrom the shell, and the baflle plates having passageways near the middleportions thereof, the lowermost pan having a reflux pipe connectedthereto and each of the rema nlng pans having a drain which empties intothe pan beneath.

2. In combination with a still, a reflux condensing dome seated on andin direct open communication with the top of the still and comprisingashell provided on the interior with a series of alternately arrangedsuperimposed pans and battle plates, the pans having side wallsspaced-from the wall of the shell and the baflle plates having centralperforations, the lowermost pan having a reflux pipe connected to thebottom thereof and the pipes extending ownwardly through the adjacentbaflle plates.

3. In combination with a still, a dome seated on the topthereof andcomprising a shell in open communication at its bottom with the stilland at its top having an egress opening for vapors, said shell having onthe interior a series of superimposed and alternately arranged pans andbaflle plates supported from the shell, the pans having upright sidewalls concentrically arranged therefrom is manner a my invention, what rother pans having drain with respect to the shell and spaced there- Intestimony whereof, I hereunto my from, and the baflie plates havingpassage-- signature in the presence of two witnesses. ways arranged atthe middle portions thereof, the lowermost pan having a reflux pipeDANIEL CHRISTMAN' 5 connected thereto and each of the remainingWitnesses: I pans having a drain which empties into the HARRY S. DYAR,

pan beneath. 1 CHARLES W. RICHARDS.

